Replies to post #202472 on Biotech Values

[mcbio]

What are you insuring against, exactly? If you pull the switch and thereby deactivate the immunotherapy, the patient will presumably die from the underlying disease. (It’s not realistic to think that such a patient could be switched to a different curative therapy.)

You'd be insuring against a safety event that could harm or kill the patient. Yes, once the drug switch is activated, I'd imagine there would be a switch to a non-CAR-T treatment. Why is that not realistic IYO?

[CHM_760]

I'm really curious as to why this Board is so resistant to the concept of the Intrexon/Ziopharm Rheoswitch, which is NOT a suicide switch, but acts like a "rheostat" to fine-tune the effect of the CAR-T therapy, allowing it to be turned off AND turned back on with the use of an oral ligand. The switch technology is currently being tested in ZIOP's glioblastoma trial with good early results.
I absolutely understand that ZIOP has a checkered past with a different drug platform and has some dedicated "enthusiasts" that go a bit overboard, but I think people here should try and keep an open mind towards their current efforts. Lawrence Cooper MD is not a fly-by-night individual (Ziopharm CEO) and industry veteran Geno Germano is the new President of Intrexon, with Fred Hassan just joining the XON board of directors.

Intrexon's proprietary RTS® system is uniquely positioned as the first clinically-evaluated gene switch with in vivo data showing the ability to control gene expression with a broad dynamic range. The RTS® platform provides a mechanism for titrating therapeutic effects on a patient-specific and predictable basis, as well as a safety switch to rapidly turn off gene expression. The ability to administer or withdraw an oral activator ligand to sustain continued treatment cycles is a key benefit exclusive to RTS® technology.